Fighting Back
by Ponderosa Dreamer
Summary: Stand-alone prequel to All In The Name Of Love. One year after Marie's accident, the Cartwrights are still making adjustments.


Fighting Back

"Hoss! Joseph! Hurry up, boys. You'll be late!" Marie Cartwright's voice rang out up the stairs.

Hoss dragged down the hall in reluctant response to his stepmother's summons. "Yeah, Ma. I'm comin'!" He was not looking forward to returning to the classroom. Hoss had never been an outstanding student, and got sick of hearing how bright his older brother was. But last year, after he'd gone back, had been even worse. At twelve, he was as big as most full-grown men, so the other kids had sense enough not to mess with him, but he'd heard the whispers and seen the looks of pity or derision cast his way. And now he was gonna have to baby sit his little brother, too!

Marie wheeled back to the dining room table, having heard the thudding of feet on the floor above. At least Hoss was up! She sipped at the coffee and smiled as Hoss came down the stairs. "Good. Is your brother ready?"

Hoss grimaced. "I dunno, Ma."

Marie sighed, "Would you go check for me, please?" Hoss should realize that she couldn't go up and hurry her youngest son along herself. If only Ben hadn't had to leave so early this morning, she could have used his help in getting these two off to school.

"Okay, Ma. I'll get him." Hoss headed for the stairs, only to spot his little brother halfway down. "Come on, get movin' will ya? Ma's gonna be mad if we're late the first day," he hissed at the younger boy.

Little Joe grinned at his big brother. "Okay, I'm ready." He scooted past his brother, and bounced into the dining room. "Morning, Ma!" His eyes were sparkling with excitement. He was going to school today!

Marie smiled at the sight of her curly-haired little boy, all ready to face the world. "Sit down and eat first, Joe." She turned to Hoss, "You, too, Hoss. You boys will have to hurry to get to school on time."

Hoss plunked down at his place. "Yes'm." He started to fill his plate.

Marie's smile faded a bit at his glumness. She knew he'd had an especially hard time going back to school after she'd been injured in that riding accident. Children could be cruel, and Hoss had endured more than his share of teasing on account of his size. Having a mother who couldn't walk just gave them something else to torment him about. "Hoss, if there are any problems at school, you let me know, all right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hoss mumbled through his scrambled eggs. He looked sourly over at his little brother's grinning face. How could that dadburned Little Joe be so happy about going to school, anyway? 

Hop Sing brought their lunches out from the kitchen. "Time you go. Not good be late!" He hustled the two boys from the table toward the door. Hoss picked up his hat, then had to wait as Joe ran back to Marie.

"Bye, Mama!" He reached up and planted a damp kiss on her cheek before dashing out the door.

Marie looked after them, feeling her eyes fill for a moment. Her baby wasn't a baby any more! Anger flashed in her eyes briefly. She should be the one driving them into town today! Her eyes dropped to her skirt, which concealed her crushed and mangled legs. There were so many things that she felt that she ought to do, but that she just wasn't able to anymore. It wasn't fair to Hoss, that he had to be the one to take Joe to school for the first time, and it wasn't fair to Ben, that he had to take on so much of the boys' care besides running the ranch single-handed. Not that he complained, but he'd been working so much since Adam had left, there never seemed to be any time just for the two of them anymore.

As she rolled out to the main room, Marie reflected that it wouldn't have been fair to hold Adam back from his dream of attending college, either. She'd had to do a lot of talking to convince Ben to let him go this year, but the look on the boy's face when Ben had handed him the tickets had been worth it.

Her musing was interrupted when the front door opened. "Good morning, Mrs. Cartwright." Maisie Fallon bustled in. "The boys get off to school all right?" The fiftyish nurse had gotten to know the family well during the months that Marie had needed around-the-clock care.

Marie smiled at the older woman. "Yes. Little Joe's been so anxious."

"I know what you mean. My granddaughter's been driving us crazy for a week. Her first day, too." Maisie laughed.

"I just wish Hoss was happier about it," Marie sighed, a slight frown replacing her smile. "Every year it just seems to get harder on him."

"I wouldn't worry. Some younguns just don't take to a lot of book learning. But that boy of yours is smart in lots of other ways. I've never seen anyone with such a way with critters!" Maisie knew of Marie's concern over her middle son's lack of enthusiasm for school. "Time for those exercises!" She began to wheel Marie toward the bedroom.

v v v

Ben pulled his hat off and mopped the sweat and dust from his eyes. Just what they needed, an Indian summer! He looked out over the crew herding the cattle down the hillside. Despite the warm weather, he knew that it wouldn't be long before the snow was falling up here. They had to get the herds down to the lower pastures before winter hit with a vengeance. Ben shook his head, thinking that he really needed another crew, but he just couldn't afford the hands. Marie's care during the past year had been so expensive, and then Adam's college expenses on top of that had pretty much drained his cash reserves. Losing too many cattle to winter kill this year could be disastrous for the Ponderosa. At least Marie only needed the nurse during the day now.

He forced his mind back to the task at hand as one of the drovers rode up. "Mr. Cartwright, couple of the boys spotted some more up in that draw, 'bout ten head."

"All right, send two men after them. They should be able to catch up to the main herd. We're not moving that fast." Ben wished yet again that Adam was here, then rode to chase a steer trying to wander off.

v v v

Hoss dismounted, then turned to pull his little brother down from the horse. "Now, just remember what I tol' ya. Keep quiet, and don't talk unless the teacher calls on ya!" He didn't think his advice would do much good. Little Joe was not noted for sitting still or keeping his mouth shut!

"Sure, Hoss." Joe looked at the schoolhouse. He hadn't been able to wait to go to school like his brothers, but now suddenly he was a little scared. He stared up at his brother. "Hoss, you comin' in with me?"

"Yeah, short shanks. Just let me put the horse up first." Hoss finished caring for the animal just as the teacher came out on the step ringing a bell. He heaved a sigh. "Well, let's go." He took the younger boy by the hand and they headed for the door.

Hoss slid into a place in the back row, with the older boys, since the larger desks were the only ones that could accommodate his frame. Little Joe tried to slip in next to him. "Naw, Joe, you gotta sit up front, with the little kids. Gwan!" He shooed his brother out of the seat.

"I wanna sit with you, Hoss!" Joe stared at his brother, his eyes filling. 

"Well, you can't!" Hoss saw his brother's face fall. Oh great! Now the kid was gonna start bawlin'! Hoss got to his feet and took Joe by the hand again. "Come on."

The teacher saw Hoss Cartwright leading a small boy up the aisle. "Miss Parker, this here's my little brother, Little Joe. He's just startin' today." Hoss pulled the little boy forward.

"Hello, Joe. You can sit in the first row, with the other first-graders." She gently directed the child to a seat, then turned to the larger boy. "Thank you, Hoss. You may sit down now."

Joe watched Hoss return to the back of the class. He didn't like the feeling in his stomach that was trying to tell him he was all alone. A boy whispered from the second-grade row behind him, "Hey Cartwright! I hear your ma's a cripple. That right?" Joe turned and glared at the bigger boy as the others around him snickered. He wasn't sure what he had expected school to be like, but he knew he hadn't bargained for this!

v v v

Hoss looked up from his lunch at the commotion on the other side of the schoolyard. Probably another fight. He turned back to his food, then the thought occurred to him, where was Little Joe? Hoss suddenly realized that he hadn't seen his brother in a good ten minutes. There was no telling what he might have gotten up to in that time! He started toward the disturbance, half afraid of what he would find.

"Aw shoot!" Sure enough, when Hoss broke through the cluster of onlookers, there was Joe, shirt torn, rolling around on the ground trying to wrestle with one of the third-grade boys. Hoss waded in, pulling his brother away from the other boy. Joe tried to keep swinging, even as his brother picked him up off the ground.

"Lemme go!" Joe screamed, not knowing or caring who had broken up the fight. Hoss could see the streaks of tears through the dirt on his brother's face, and the puffiness that told of a black eye yet to come. "You take that back!" Joe was still yelling at his opponent.

Miss Parker came up, her own lunch interrupted by the shouts from the schoolyard. "What is going on here? Hoss, what started this?" She had to look up at the twelve-year-old.

"I don't rightly know, ma'am. I heard a ruckus, and saw Little Joe and Mickey there whalin' on each other." Hoss wasn't about to get himself in trouble. Joe was doing a good enough job of that for both of them!

She turned her attention to the two younger boys. "All right, who started it? Hoss, put him down." Hoss was still holding his brother in midair, but set him on the ground at her direction.

"He swung first!" Mickey was glaring at the smaller boy.

Miss Parker looked over at Joe. "Is that true, Joseph?"

Joe finally realized just how much trouble he was in. "Yes, ma'am." He ducked his head.

"Why?" The teacher thought to herself, at least you had to admire the boy's nerve! Mickey was at least two years older, and had to outweigh Joe by a good thirty pounds.

Joe stared over at his brother, his eyes pleading for help. "Hoss..."

"Leave me out of it, little brother!" Hoss knew he was going to be in enough hot water with Pa for letting Joe get into a fight in the first place, without helping him weasel his way out of it.

Joe looked up at the teacher. "He...he was sayin' stuff." The excuse sounded pretty lame, even to him.

Miss Parker forced herself to keep a stern expression on her face. "He was saying stuff. I see. And you thought that gave you a reason to hit him?" It was hard not to melt at the sight of that tear-streaked face and those eyes.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Joe bit his lip, trying not to start crying again. He was getting scared, knowing how Pa felt about fighting, and his eye was starting to hurt.

"You were mistaken, then. 'Saying stuff' is not a reason to start a fight! You will stay after school today, both of you. Mickey, you will stay because you provoked the fight, and Joe, you will stay for fighting." The teacher saw the rest of the children, standing around. "All right, everyone back inside. Lunch is over."

Hoss hung back. "Uh, Miss Parker, ma'am?" 

She turned and looked at him. "What is it, Hoss?"

"Uh, ma'am, my pa's gonna be real sore about Little Joe gettin' kept after. I mean, bein' as it's his first day and all. Well, I was kinda wonderin' if you could just let him go this time?" Hoss was beet-red, thinking about _who _Pa was gonna be sore at.

Miss Parker shook her head. "I'm sorry Hoss. That's no excuse. Your brother has to learn that some things are unacceptable at school, and fighting is one of them! I can't just let it go."

"Yes, ma'am. But Pa's probably gonna tan him good for it, too." Hoss knew well his father's views about schoolyard brawling.

"That's up to your parents. Now go on back to class."

"Yes, ma'am." Hoss shuffled back into the schoolhouse. Well, at least he'd tried!

v v v

Marie looked up at the clock again, wishing Ben would come home, or that Adam were here, so she could send one of them to see why the boys were so late. She'd expected them home an hour ago! She glanced toward the kitchen door as Hop Sing emerged. "Hop Sing..."

The cook shook his head. "No, Missy! I not go! Mistah Cahtlight skin Hop Sing if he come back and you here alone!"

Marie sighed, knowing that Hop Sing looked on her as his special responsibility. And she knew her husband would not be pleased at finding that she had been left alone in the house. Just then, she heard a horse in the yard. She rolled quickly to the door, stopping at the sight of her sons.

"Hoss! Joseph! What happened?" Hoss looked uninjured, but Joe's shirt was torn and dirty, and he seemed to be trying to hide one side of his face.

"Uh, nothin' Ma!" Joe tried to scoot past her into the house.

"Joseph Francis Cartwright, stop right there!" At the command in his mother's voice, the boy stopped short. "Come back over here."

When her son got within range, Marie pulled his hand away from his face, gasping at the bruising around his left eye. "What did you do? And is this why you are late?" Seeing that no answers were forthcoming from the younger boy, Marie turned to Hoss. "What is this? How did your brother get a black eye?"

Hoss scuffed a toe of his boot in the dirt before answering, "He got into a fight."

"A fight! At school? Is that why you are late? He was kept after?" Marie couldn't believe that Little Joe had gotten in trouble his very first day.

"Yes'm." Hoss stared at the ground, unable to meet her gaze.

Marie sighed. "All right. Hoss, take care of your horse, then both of you go get cleaned up for supper. Your father will not be happy to hear about this!"

Joe looked at his mother, tears filling his eyes again. "Mama, do you gotta tell Pa?" 

"No, Joseph, I am not going to tell your father about this. You are." Marie wanted to make sure that the boy learned his lesson from this incident, and that it would not be repeated.

The child burst into tears and ran up the stairs, sobbing. Hoss stared after his little brother, his own eyes stinging. "Ma, Pa's gonna be real mad about this. He's gonna blister Little Joe's backside for sure."

Marie smiled at him. "Perhaps not, if Joe goes to him and admits what he did. He will be angry, yes, but not so angry as he would be if the boy refused to face him. That is why I want your brother to tell him himself."

v v v

Hoss was finishing the barn chores when Ben rode in. "Here, Pa, I'll take your horse." Pa looked tired, and besides, Hoss didn't want to be anywhere near the house when Pa got a good look at Little Joe.

"Thanks son." Ben handed Hoss the reins and trudged wearily to the house. He didn't really care whether supper was ready or not. All he wanted to do was sit on something besides a saddle!

"Hello, love." He bent and kissed his wife, then settled into the overstuffed chair in front of the fire. The days were still warm, but fall was starting to make its presence felt in the evening. "Where's Joe? I thought he'd be full of how his day went at school."

Marie got a strange look on her face, then replied, "Oh yes. He'll want to tell you all about that." She rolled over to the foot of the stairs and called up, "Joseph, your father is home. Come down here, please."

Ben was puzzled by her tone. Something was going on here that he didn't know about. He didn't have long to wonder, since the sight of his young son's black eye told the tale. "Joseph? What happened to your eye?"

The boy stared at him for a moment, then looked at his mother. "Go ahead, Joe. Tell your father what happened." Marie wasn't going to let him off the hook.

Joe looked at his feet and clasped his hands behind his back, then mumbled, "I got inna fight at school."

"What? A fight! The first day?" Ben couldn't believe this. 

"Yessir." Joe stared at the floor, not wanting to see his father's displeasure.

"Look at me boy." Ben waited until his son met his gaze. "Who were you fighting with, and why?"

"Mickey Englund. He was sayin' stuff." Joe didn't want to go into details with his mother right there.

"Stuff? What was he saying that made you fight him?" Ben was sure there had to be more to this.

Joe looked up, feeling trapped. "Just...just _stuff! _Okay?" He bolted from the room, heading out the front door. 

Ben followed, running into Hoss as he came across the yard. Hoss tried to stop his father. "Pa, it wasn't all his fault." Joe had confided on the way home just what Mickey had said.

"I know that, Hoss. Just go on inside." Ben continued to the barn, finding Joe lying on a pile of straw, crying.

"Joe, sit up, son." He pulled the boy up to face him.

"I-I'm sorry, Pa. I didn't mean to get in trouble." Joe was still sobbing.

"I know you didn't. But you still haven't told me why you started the fight." Ben was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Mickey was sayin' stuff...about Ma. 'Bout her bein' crippled and not bein' no use, and..." he broke off with another round of sobs.

"Joseph, stop crying and listen to me." Ben waited until the sobs had subsided to sniffles. "Now you know better than that, don't you?" Joe nodded. "Your mother is very special, and she does her best to make us all happy, doesn't she?" Another nod. "Well, that doesn't sound to me like she's no use!" 

Joe understood what his father was saying. "But why was he sayin' those things, Pa?"

"Joe, do you know what the word 'ignorant' means?" Joe shook his head. "Some people form opinions, and talk about things that they know nothing about. People like that are said to be ignorant."

Joe sniffled, "Is that like bein' stupid, Pa?"

"Not exactly. Ignorant people don't know any better. Stupid people know better but just don't care. There's a difference. Do you understand?" 

"Yeah, I think so. Like when a baby touches a stove and gets burned, he's ig-ignorant, 'cause he don't know the stove's hot, but when a grown-up does it, they're stupid, 'cause they should know it's hot?"

Ben smiled. "Something like that. Anyone who knows your mother would never say things like that about her." He hugged the boy. "Now, no more fights, okay?"

"Okay, Pa." Joe hugged his father back.

"Good. Now let's go on in and get ready for supper." He set the boy on his feet, and they walked back to the house together.

v v v

Several nights later, Marie woke, feeling the muscles in her legs go into spasms. She gasped from the pain, then looked over at her husband. She hated to wake him, but she couldn't stand the cramping. She reached over and touched his shoulder. "Ben. Ben, wake up."

"Hmm? What?" He was fuzzy for a moment, then heard Marie's groan and knew why she'd awakened him. "Hold on, love." He lit the lamp, then turned down the covers. He could see the knots in her muscles beneath the scarred skin, and began massaging them.

"Better?" He saw her face relax as the cramps eased, and thought the tears in her eyes were from the pain. She nodded, and he settled her back under the covers, before blowing out the light and climbing back into bed himself. He snuggled her close to him, remembering how it had been with them before she was hurt. If only they could...No! He stopped that thought before it could take hold. That was impossible, and he had learned to accept that fact. Or at least he should have by now.

Even though the pain had eased, Marie's tears continued to fall silently. How could he even stand to look at her? As he had rubbed and soothed her scarred legs, she remembered how he used to touch her. But now, how could he want her that way, damaged as she was? She missed the way things used to be between them.

v v v

The next day, Dr. Martin made his monthly visit to the Ponderosa. After making sure of Marie's physical progress, he realized that she seemed down. "Marie, something wrong?" He settled in the chair next to the bed.

"No, nothing." She shook her head and looked away.

"Has the cramping been bad?" He had to get her talking.

"Sometimes. It seems worse at night." She thought back to the previous night.

"The exercises should help with that. Just don't try too much in the evening." He sensed that there was something else bothering her. "Are the boys okay?" He'd heard about the fight on Little Joe's first day.

Marie smiled faintly. "They're doing better. I think Joe has settled in at school."

Martin tried again. "Is everything all right with you and Ben?"

She shook her head, looking down. "It is different now, between us. Sometimes I feel like he can hardly stand to look at me!" 

Paul Martin covered his shock at her statement. Ben Cartwright wasn't the type to turn his back on his injured wife! "Marie, have you talked to him about this?"

Marie shook her head again, sadly. "No. You know how stubborn Ben is. He wouldn't even admit it to himself, that he feels differently towards me now."

Martin rose from his chair. "Well, try talking it out with him. You've both been through a lot in the past year. You're still adjusting."

Paul was glad to see Ben waiting when he entered the main room. "Ben, could we talk for a few minutes?"

Ben was instantly concerned. "Is Marie all right?"

"Physically, yes, she's doing fine. Let's sit down." Once they were settled, Paul began speaking. "Ben, I'm worried about both you and Marie. She seems to think your feelings for her have changed since the accident."

"What? That's ridiculous! Nothing's changed between us." Ben was genuinely shocked at the doctor's statement.

"Hasn't it?" The doctor hesitated, knowing he might be crossing the boundaries of friendship. "Ben, I'm going to be blunt. Have you even _tried_ to make love since she was injured?" Paul figured he already knew the answer to this one, judging from Marie's misery.

Ben stared at him for a minute before answering slowly. "No. I...I've been afraid...afraid I would hurt her."

"I understand that. But Marie feels like you're rejecting her, Ben. She's afraid, too. Afraid that she's too damaged for you to love her anymore. She thinks you can't stand to look at her." 

Ben was stunned that he could have hurt his wife so deeply without even realizing it. "Paul...I-I had no idea! But how...?"

"I told her she needs to talk this out with you. At first, just be ready to listen. Then, well, you might have to be a little creative. Just remember that Marie isn't made of glass, and if she's in pain, she'll let you know." The doctor smiled and stood. "You two can work this out between you."

Ben sat, thinking, for a long time after the doctor left. Finally he rose and went into the bedroom. "Marie? You awake love?"

She turned to face the door. "Yes." 

He sat on the side of the bed, next to her. "I guess we have some things to talk about." She nodded.

A couple of hours later, Ben stirred and looked at the clock, then shook Marie gently. "Wake up, love. The boys will be home soon." She opened her eyes and smiled at him. Paul had been right, they'd had to be creative, but the result had been worth the effort. He grinned back at her. "I don't think we want to get caught like this." Marie laughed as he got up and started dressing.

v v v

When Maisie arrived the next morning, she noticed Marie's improved spirits. "Looks like you're feelin' better today." She'd been concerned about her patient's recent loss of spirit, and had been about to mention it to Dr. Martin in her next report. But the woman who greeted her today seemed more like the old Marie that she'd known before the accident.

Marie smiled happily at her. "Yes. Ben was here yesterday when the doctor came, and afterward, well, we got a lot of things straightened out."

The nurse grinned, figuring what one of the "things" probably was. "Good. 'Bout time," was her only comment.

v v v

Marie's renewed optimism was dashed that afternoon, when Miss Parker's buggy pulled up to the house. She had heard the jangle of the harness, and went to the door to greet the visitor, staring in shock when she saw not just one, but both her sons standing there, bruised and dirty. Joe had welts and scratches all over his face, and his lip had been split. Hoss slumped, staring at the ground, his knuckles swollen and red. Miss Parker climbed down from the buggy and herded both boys toward the porch. "Mrs. Cartwright, I need to speak with you and your husband both. Is he here?"

Marie looked from her sons to the teacher. "Miss Parker, what's happened? Was there trouble again?"

The young woman looked uncomfortable. "I'd really rather speak to both of you at once, Mrs. Cartwright."

Marie shook herself. "Of course. My husband should be in shortly. I'm sorry, Miss Parker, won't you come in?" She wheeled toward the door.

"Thank you." Miss Parker cast a meaningful look at Hoss and Joe, who followed their mother into the house.

Hop Sing brought out a tray of cookies and lemonade as they entered, but nearly dropped the tray at the sight of the two boys. After a sharp look, he set the tray down and returned to the kitchen without comment.

"Thank you, Hop Sing." Marie turned to her sons. "Joe, are you hurt?" Joe shook his head, and Marie looked at the teacher for confirmation.

"He just got a few bruises," Miss Parker reassured her.

"Boys, go upstairs and get cleaned up." Marie figured whatever the teacher had to say would be better heard without them listening in.

"Yes'm." Hoss and Joe replied in unison, then turned and trudged up the stairs.

Marie returned her attention to the teacher. "Miss Parker, I don't know what to say. They haven't been raised to fight like that! They know their father and I don't approve of this. I know Joseph has a temper, but Hoss! I don't know what has come over him!"

Miss Parker shifted uneasily. "I'm afraid it's gone beyond just fighting, Mrs. Cartwright. I'd really prefer not to say any more until Mr. Cartwright is here." She hoped the boys' mother would let the subject drop for now.

"Certainly." Marie sipped at the lemonade, hoping that Ben would be home soon.

As if her wish had been heard, Ben rode into the yard a few minutes later, frowning at the unknown buggy in front of the house. Tying his horse to the rail, he hurried inside to see what was going on.

"Ben!" Marie turned her chair as she heard him come in. "Miss Parker has been waiting to talk to both of us. Hoss and Joe were in another fight at school today."

Ben huffed in exasperation. "Miss Parker. What started it this time?"

"Ben, sit down. Miss Parker doesn't want to speak with you glowering over her!" Marie had a feeling he was going to be angry with whatever the teacher had to say. He looked over at her, then settled in the large chair next to where Miss Parker was seated on the couch.

Once he was sitting, Miss Parker began. "It seems that a couple of bigger boys were picking on Joe again. From what the other children have said, two of them were ganging up on him. I could understand Hoss breaking that up, but he went way beyond what was needed. Usually, the other boys won't bother Hoss. I think mostly because of his size, they're afraid of him. But one of these boys, Elias Newcombe, made a comment to him, and Hoss tore into him. I've never seen him lose his temper like that! It took three sixteen-year-old boys to pull him off Elias, and they had a hard time of it."

Ben broke in. "Is the other boy all right?"

The teacher drew a breath. "We don't know yet. He was taken to the doctor's office, unconscious. Hoss beat him pretty badly. The Newcombes are very upset, and wanted the sheriff to arrest Hoss on the spot."

"Arrest him! He's just a boy!" Marie was horrified at the thought of a child in jail.

"That's the only reason he's not in jail right now. I imagine Sheriff Coffee will be out to talk to you in the next day or so. Mr. and Mrs. Newcombe seemed quite determined to press charges." Miss Parker hated having to bring news like this to the Cartwrights, of all people. "I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright. I hope for Hoss's sake, that everything works out all right. I know Elias must have said something awfully vile to make him that angry." She stood.

Ben rose to his feet, as well. "Thank you for bringing them home, Miss Parker. Under the circumstances, I think it would be best for the boys to stay out of school until this is straightened out."

Miss Parker nodded her agreement. "I can bring their lessons out in a couple of days, so they don't fall behind. Goodbye, and again, I'm sorry about all this."

"Yes, so are we." Ben walked her out, then returned to the chair, sitting heavily. He looked at his wife. "Now what do we do?"

"I think first you need to talk to Hoss, find out what he has to say." Marie couldn't believe that gentle Hoss would attack another child so savagely.

"Yes, I guess I'd better." Ben wondered what on earth he would say to the boy. This was a matter that parental discipline alone wouldn't make right. He got up and glanced back at his wife. "You want me to take you upstairs, too?"

Marie shook her head. "Not just yet. He needs you right now, Ben." She wanted to go to both the boys, just hold them and let them know that everything would be all right. The problem was that there was no certainty that it would be. If the other boy's parents pressed charges, there was a very real possibility that Hoss would have to stand trial, and could even have to go to jail! She prayed that it wouldn't come to that, as Ben climbed the stairs.

Ben knocked before opening the bedroom door. "Hoss? We need to talk about this, son."

Hoss was lying on the bed, and turned to face his father, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve as he sat up. The childish gesture reminded Ben that, despite his size and strength, Hoss was still a twelve-year-old boy, and at the moment, a very frightened twelve-year-old boy.

Ben sat next to his son on the bed. "Hoss, what happened today? Miss Parker told me what she saw, but I want to hear your side."

"Honest, Pa! I didn't mean to hurt 'im! I was just tryin' to stop Elias and Jay from whompin' on Little Joe." Hoss's eyes filled with tears again, and he wiped them away.

"From what I heard, the problem started after you broke up the fight. You did more than just pull Elias off your brother." Ben had to know what led up to the beating. It just wasn't like Hoss to attack another child without cause.

Hoss looked down and sniffled again. "They shouldn'ta been hittin' on Joe, Pa. Jay's almost my age, and Elias is fourteen."

"Granted, but that's no excuse, and you know it. What made you so angry?"

"After I pulled him off Joe, Elias wouldn't shut up. He kept sayin' how Little Joe was a weakling, like Ma, 'cause she's crippled, and we wouldn't have no more brothers or sisters, 'cause Ma can't..." The boy couldn't bring himself to repeat the foul words that had been spoken. He wasn't sure just what they meant, but he knew he would have gotten his mouth washed out with soap just for whispering them. He did the best he could. "He said the f-word, Pa."

Ben didn't allow his rage to show on his face, at least he hoped it didn't. The last thing Hoss needed was to see his father's fury. He forced his voice to stay level. "Then what happened?"

"I don't know. Next thing I remember is Miz Newcombe screamin' at the sheriff to put me in jail. Pa, is Elias gonna be all right?" Hoss was still clearly upset at the thought that he'd hurt someone.

"I don't know, son. Miss Parker said you beat him up pretty badly. He was unconscious when they took him to the doctor's office." 

Hoss started sobbing again at his father's words. "I don't wanna go to jail, Pa! I guess I am just a big ol' dumb ox."

Ben couldn't keep the anger down at that. "Who said that?"

"Miz Newcombe. She said they oughta lock me away so's I can't hurt anyone else." Hoss clung to his father and cried, terrified at the thought of being taken away from his home and family. "I didn't mean to, Pa!"

Ben tried to calm his hysterical son. "Hoss, she had no right to say that. Now you need to settle down and listen to me." After a few minutes of rubbing Hoss's shoulders, the sobbing subsided to sniffles, and Ben felt he could continue calmly.

"What Elias said was wrong, but what you did was very wrong, too. Hoss, you are in serious trouble, and losing your temper is no excuse. Do you understand that?" Hoss nodded, but said nothing. "If the Newcombes choose to involve the law in this, I will do all I can to see that you don't have to spend time in jail. But you will have to be punished."

"You gonna tan me, Pa?" Hoss wasn't happy at the prospect, but it was better than jail.

Ben sighed. "I wish it were that simple. You already know you did wrong, and a tanning won't change anything. Tomorrow you and I will ride in, and you will apologize to the Newcombes, and to Elias, if he's up to it. Then we'll talk to them and see if there's some way you can make amends."

Hoss looked up at his father as Ben stood. "You think they'll put me in jail, Pa?"

Ben gazed sadly at his forlorn son. "I hope not, Hoss." He turned toward the door. "Wash your face, then get on down and start on your chores."

Ben's next stop was his youngest son's room. He knocked softly, then went in. Joe was curled up on the bed, clutching a little wooden horse Hoss had carved for him a couple of years before. The little boy's tear-stained face made it obvious that he'd cried himself to sleep. Ben woke him gently.

"Joe, wake up son." 

Joe stirred, then opened his eyes. One look at his father's grim face brought the afternoon's events back to him, and he started crying again. "Is Hoss gonna hafta go to jail, Pa?" He'd heard Mrs. Newcombe screaming at Hoss and the sheriff.

"I don't know, Joe. We'll try to see that that doesn't happen." He sat next to the youngster. "Now sit up. I want to talk to you about what happened."

Joe scooted to an upright position, winding up cross-legged facing his father. Once the boy was settled, Ben continued, "What started the fight in the first place, Joseph? I thought things were going better at school."

Joe looked at Ben gravely. "Well, the little kids quit pickin' on me 'cause they're scared of Hoss. I guess now the big kids will be, too."

Ben shook his head. "Joe, having people scared of you isn't the way to get along with them. Did you start the fight with those boys?"

"No, Pa! They just come up and started shovin' me, then they said, 'See if your big ol' brother can fix this.' Then they just started hittin' on me, then Hoss pulled 'em off, and Elias said some nasty stuff at 'im, then Hoss just started whalin' on 'im, and then someone ran and got Sheriff Coffee and Miz Newcombe, and then Miz Newcombe got all mad and started yellin' at everybody that Hoss was tryin' to kill Elias and the sheriff should lock him up and she called Hoss a dumb ol' ox that should be locked up and..." Joe finally had to stop for air.

Ben interrupted, "All right, son. I get the idea." He waited for Joe to catch his breath. "Son, you know that what Hoss did was wrong, even though he was provoked, don't you?"

"What's pervoked, Pa?" Joe didn't understand the unfamiliar word.

"Pro-voked, son. That's when someone tries to make someone else angry, tries to lure them into a fight or an argument." Ben tried to remember that he was explaining this to a six-year-old.

"Like before, when you said Mickey was bein' ignorant?" The child was trying to comprehend.

"Yes, like that. In this case, it sounds like Elias was trying to get Hoss to fight him, but got a bit more than he bargained for." Ben didn't want to make it sound as if he was excusing Hoss's behavior, but the boy was not the only guilty party in this business.

"Was Miz Newcombe bein' ignorant when she said those things about Hoss, too?" Joe had been stung as badly by the accusations against his brother as he had been by the slurs about his mother.

Ben hoped he could make Joe understand what he was trying to say. "Mrs. Newcombe was very angry and upset, Joe. Her son was hurt, and a mother's instinct is to protect her child. I don't think she really meant what she said." He ruffled the boy's hair. "Now change your clothes and get washed up for supper."

Joe still wanted the answer to his question. "Can they put Hoss in jail, for real, Pa?"

"We'll just have to see, Joe. I don't want him to go to jail, either. I'm going to try to talk to the Newcombes tomorrow." Ben was hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

v v v

Hoss's stomach was doing flip-flops as he rode next to his father and stopped in front of the sheriff's office. Facing Pa's belt would have been easier than walking in that door. But Hoss knew that he had no choice in the matter. He just wondered if he was going to be allowed to leave with his father.

Sheriff Roy Coffee looked up as Ben Cartwright ushered his son into the office. "Howdy, Ben. Hoss." Roy could see that the boy was scared out of his wits. "What's on yer mind, Ben?"

"Roy, are the Newcombes still wanting to press charges against Hoss?" Ben had to know where they stood, legally.

Coffee frowned and nodded. "At least they were this mornin'. Ben, you don't have to worry. No judge is gonna put a twelve-year-old boy in jail."

"I didn't think so, Roy. But Hoss is upset enough over this, without having to go through a trial. I want to go over and talk to them, try to settle this before it gets that far. I thought it might be a good idea if you came along." Ben wanted to avoid any chance of making the situation worse.

"Might be at that." Roy got up and picked up his hat.

A young girl answered their knock at the Newcombes' door, peering fearfully at Hoss and mumbling, "Just a minute," when they asked if her parents were home. The door closed, then they heard, "Mama, it's the sheriff, and he's with _them_!"

A moment later, the door opened again, and they were confronted by Mrs. Newcombe, her eyes blazing. "What do you want?" she asked rudely.

Ben stepped forward. "Mrs. Newcombe, I'm Ben Cartwright, and..."

"I know who you are! And you have some nerve, bringing that brute of a son of yours back into town after what he did!" the woman snapped.

"Madam, my son is not a brute. He's come to apologize to you and your husband." Ben was doing his best to remain polite.

"Apologize! Do you think that's all he has to do, is apologize?" Mrs. Newcombe was plainly still too angry to accept a mere apology.

Just as Ben was biting back a retort, the door swung wider and Mr. Newcombe appeared next to his wife. "Emmaline, settle down. What's going on here, Sheriff?"

"Ben here brought Hoss in to apologize to you and your boy, and to see what they could do to set things right." Roy was hoping that Newcombe would be more reasonable than his wife.

The man nodded. "Come on in, Cartwright." 

"Lewis! That boy belongs in jail. To bring him into our house..." Mrs. Newcombe was off and ranting again.

"That's enough, Emmaline! We can at least listen to what Mr. Cartwright has to say." Mr. Newcombe shot his wife a sharp look. She finally subsided, pressing her mouth into a thin line that indicated her disapproval.

Once they had been shown into the living room, Ben nodded at Hoss.

Hoss faced the Newcombes. "Mr. and Mrs. Newcombe, I'm real sorry about hurtin' Elias. I didn't mean to. Pa's always told me I gotta be careful about gettin' mad like that, 'cause I'm so big I can hurt folks without meanin' to. I sure hope Elias is gonna be okay." Hoss looked down at his hat, which he had twisted until it was almost unrecognizable. "Can...I mean may I go up and see him for a minute?"

Newcombe looked at the boy, realizing how difficult it had been for him to come here. "The doctor says he'll be fine in a few days. I think he's awake now. Come on, Hoss, I'll show you up."

Ben smiled encouragingly at Hoss, who looked at him before following Mr. Newcombe up the stairs.

Hoss saw the hatred in Elias's stare as soon as he entered the room. He took a breath and said his piece. "Elias, I'm sorry for gettin' so mad and hurtin' ya like I did. I didn't have no right to do that." He waited for some acknowledgment from the other boy.

"Elias, Hoss has apologized. Don't you have something to say to him as well?" Lewis Newcombe had calmed during the night, and figured out that his son wasn't entirely innocent himself.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too, for what I said about your brother and your ma." Even Hoss noted the lack of sincerity in Elias's apology.

"Okay." Hoss wasn't about to make an issue of it. This had gone far enough. He turned and left the room.

Newcombe scowled and shook his head at his son before following Hoss back to the living room.

Ben stood as they came back in. "Mr. Newcombe, I've already told Sheriff Coffee that I'll pay all the medical bills for this. Hoss will also come here after school each day and do Elias's chores for him, as long as he's unable to do them himself. Hoss is still going to be responsible for his own chores at home, as well. I know this doesn't undo the damage he's caused, but I think Hoss has learned his lesson from all this."

Newcombe regarded the boy standing before him. "That sounds reasonable. I just hope Elias has learned one as well." He spoke to Roy. "Sheriff, I don't see any reason to press charges against this boy. I want to drop the complaint."

"Lewis!" Mrs. Newcombe cut off her protest at a look from her husband, falling silent.

"Emmaline, there's a difference between justice and revenge! Mr. Cartwright has offered to do what he can to make this right. Just drop it." Newcombe was fed up with her anger. "Thank you for coming by, Cartwright. Hoss, it took a lot of courage for you to come here and apologize." He showed them out.

Hoss was limp with relief when they left the Newcombe house. "Does this mean I don't have to go to jail, Sheriff?"

Roy grinned at him. "It sure does, Hoss. Shoot, the county'd go broke just trying' to feed ya!"

Hoss grinned back at him. Ben clapped the boy on the shoulder. "Let's get home and tell your mother and Joe, so they can quit worrying." Ben reflected that he was the only one who had to worry now, about how he was going to pay Elias Newcombe's medical bills.

v v v

"Hoss, you ain't gonna hafta go to jail, are ya?" Joe had been afraid to get too excited when he saw Hoss return with Pa. His big brother sure didn't look all that happy when they'd come riding up.

Hoss turned from the bedroom window to face his little brother, who was sitting on the bed. "Naw, Mr. Newcombe said he was droppin' the charges."

"Is Pa gonna whup ya?" The younger boy couldn't understand why Hoss seemed so subdued.

Hoss shook his head, "Nope. There's worse things than whuppin's, short shanks. When I had to tell Elias I was sorry, I felt lower than a snake's belly."

Joe couldn't imagine anything worse than one of Pa's lickings, but figured that Hoss must know what he was talking about. "How come kids are always sayin' mean stuff about Ma, anyway, Hoss?"

"Reckon 'cause they just don't know her. Some folks are scared of anyone who's different from them, like they're scared of me 'cause I'm so big." 

Joe grinned. "Well, if they wasn't before, they sure are now!" He thought that the fight would enhance his brother's reputation.

Hoss scowled, "That ain't right! They got no call to talk about somebody that they don't even know."

"Pa said they're ignorant." Joe was proud that he'd learned the big word.

"Yeah, reckon they are, at that. Anyhow, some folks just make up their minds that they don't like Ma, just 'cause she can't walk, and don't even take the time to get to know her. I guess that does make 'em ignorant." Hoss hoped he could make Joe see that the thoughtless comments they were both exposed to were not usually made out of malice.

"Pa said that Ma's special. Just 'cause she can't walk?" Joe was still trying to figure out why everyone made such a big deal about his mother's wheelchair.

Hoss shook his head. "No, that ain't what makes Ma special. She's special 'cause she knows what's inside people, what they're really like. She don't just look at what's on the outside. And, well, I guess she's special, just 'cause she's your ma, too."

Joe was confused by his brother's last statement. "She's your ma, too, Hoss."

Hoss nodded. "Yeah, now she is. But she wasn't always my ma, Joe. Remember how Pa said that my ma died when I was a baby, and so did Adam's?" Joe nodded. "Well, Adam don't remember his own mama, but he remembers mine. He always said that she was real special, too. But I didn't ever remember havin' a ma, so when Pa brought your mama here from New Orleans, I thought he brought her just for me. But Adam was mad about it for a while, he didn't like her at first."

Joe interrupted, "Is that why he calls her Marie instead of Ma?" He had heard this family history before, of course, but some things were seeming to make more sense now.

"He got over not likin' her after a while. I reckon he still thinks of my mama as his Ma. He was just about my age when your ma first came here. Maybe he figured he was too grown up to need another mama." Hoss had never been able to understand his older brother's early coldness toward Marie, but he had long since forgiven him for it. 

"So what's Pa gonna do instead of tannin' ya?" Joe knew that his father wouldn't let Hoss's wrongdoing slide.

"I gotta do all Elias's chores for him while he's laid up." Hoss was less than thrilled at the prospect.

Joe grimaced. "Is he gonna make me do yours?"

Hoss laughed at his brother's expression. "Heck no! That wouldn't be punishing me, that'd be punishing you. I gotta do mine here, too." He figured that at least the extra chores would leave him less time for homework.

v v v

Long after the boys were in bed, Ben stared at the column of figures, trying to make them come out differently. With what he estimated they owed for Elias Newcombe's medical expenses, it looked like he was going to have to let one of the hands go early. He sighed and closed the ledger book. The ranch was already short handed, and having one less man working was going to mean longer hours for everyone, especially him. 

Marie rolled into the study area. "Ben, come to bed. It's late." She could see something was troubling him. "What's wrong?"

He forced a smile. "Nothing's wrong, love. You're right. It's late, and it's been a long day." He got up and stretched. "I don't know what's worse sometimes, riding all day 'til my rear's sore, or sitting here half the night staring at those blasted numbers."

She wasn't fooled by his grin. "You've been working too much ever since Adam left, Ben. You should think about hiring a couple of more hands." 

Ben felt his heart sink at her suggestion. She was right, they did need more men, but the problem was that he couldn't pay them. He tried to shrug off her concern. "It's just this time of year, that's all. Once we get the herds moved down, things will calm down." He shivered. The last couple of nights had left frost on the ground. If he couldn't get those cattle moved before the snow fell, he was going to be in real trouble. "Let's get you into bed before you freeze."

She started wheeling toward the bedroom and stopped. "Only if you're coming with me." He picked up the lamp and followed her.

v v v

When Ben awoke the next morning, the sight of a light dusting of snow confirmed his fears. If it had snowed here, the high pastures must have gotten much more! He went and woke Hoss. "Son, I'm going to need you to stay out of school today. You'll have to help move the cattle."

He returned to the downstairs bedroom to find Marie awake and ready to get up. "I'm keeping Hoss home today." He was dissatisfied with the solution, but couldn't see any alternative.

Marie was dismayed. "Ben, he's already missed so much school! We can't let him fall even farther behind. Why can't you just hire someone else?" 

Ben had spent a restless night wondering how he could meet his payroll as it was, and his temper finally snapped. "Because I can't afford to pay the men we've got working now, that's why!" It wasn't until he saw the stricken look on Marie's face that he realized what he'd said. "Oh, God," he muttered under his breath.

Marie stared at her husband for a moment, then her own temper surged. "If money is so tight, why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. "We agreed that we wouldn't keep secrets from one another." She was hurt and angry that he hadn't discussed this with her.

He sighed. "It wasn't that bad. Adam's tuition and travel set us back a bit, but I thought I could make that up this fall. That just hasn't happened. Now with the extra bills for Elias, well...I figure I might have to let one of the men go early. If we lose too many head this winter, though, I might have to bring Adam home."

"Bring him home! Ben, you can't!" Marie was certain that pulling Adam out of college would devastate him. "Keep the men on, all of them. We can find ways to make it up around here."

"I don't see how. Joe already needs school shoes again, and Hoss outgrows his clothes almost as soon as he gets them!" Ben wasn't about to shortchange his family.

"I can make more of the boys' clothes. That's one thing I can still do, is sew!" Marie was determined that she was going to do what she could.

He wasn't sure that he'd made the right decision in trying to keep Marie unaware of their financial situation. But she knew how expensive her nursing care was, and she couldn't do without it. He hadn't wanted her to feel responsible for the bind they were in. Ben was surprised to find that he felt relieved that he was no longer confronting the problem alone. "I didn't want you to worry. We'll get by."

She smiled her agreement. "I know we will. We always do." She patted his hand. "Hadn't you better get Hoss moving, if you're taking him with you?"

v v v

Hoss was allowed to stay out of school all that week, much to his delight. Joe was less thrilled, however, since he had to go anyway, and without the security of his brother's presence. Most of the other kids had a new respect for him, though, after the Elias Newcombe incident. It was not so much that Hoss had beat up Elias, but the fact that Joe had managed to hold his own so well against the two much bigger boys. He started making friends with several of the children his own age, and found that not everyone was like the ones who'd picked on him at first.

Hoss and Ben trudged from the barn to the house through falling snow late that Friday afternoon. "Hiya, short shanks." Hoss flopped on the couch. Between working on the ranch all day, then going to the Newcombes' each afternoon, he was worn out.

Joe was sitting at the table doing some homework. "Hi, Hoss. Miss Parker sent some work for you." Hoss screwed up his face. Looked like he wasn't going to get out of the schoolwork, after all!

Ben eased himself down in the chair, smiling as Marie came up next to him. "We got the last of them down to the winter pasture just before it started snowing. I think we're going to be all right."

Marie smiled back at him. "Of course we'll be all right. As long as we're together, how can we not be?"

v v v

Sunday morning was crisp and clear. Fortunately, the snowfall had stopped Friday, and by Sunday Ben judged that the road to town should be passable. The Cartwright buggy pulled up in front of the church, and Hoss and Ben began the now-familiar routine of unloading Marie's wheelchair and getting her settled into it. Hoss's strength was needed to push her up the steep ramp which had been built to accommodate her, but then she motioned him to her side. "Hoss, I want you to walk in next to me today." She had seen the looks directed at him from several people as they had arrived. "Joseph, would you mind?" 

Joe was amazed. Ma had never let him push her chair before! She was always afraid that he wouldn't pay attention, and would run her into something. "Sure, Ma." He pulled himself up a little taller, then at Ben's encouraging smile, took Hoss's accustomed place behind their mother. Marie took Ben's hand on one side, and Hoss's on the other, and the Cartwright family entered the church together.

— The End —


End file.
